Our Singing at Brighton Unitarian Church - on Friday 8 November - 12.30pm

(From the event organiser's notice posted on the Brighton Unitarian Church's Facebook Page)

This Friday (8 November) we are delighted to welcome the South Downs Folk Singers to the church for our regular fundraising lunchtime concert. 

Doors open at 12 noon with tea/coffee and biscuits served in the church hall on a pay-as-you-feel donation basis. The concert is 12.30-1.15pm - suggested donation £5 on the door - cash or card. Your donations help us to keep the doors open and the lights (and heating!) on in our beautiful Grade II listed building.

The SDFS grew out of a South Downs Society project to promote the heritage and culture of the South Downs, both old and new. Since 2013 around 50 members have met monthly in Chichester, Lewes and Worthing and the groups come together to sing at festivals and other events across the area. 

The SDFS is not a formal choir but a joyful group who sing traditional South Downs songs unaccompanied, as they may very well have been sung in homes, places of work and recreation in the past. Audience participation is welcome so please join in if you wish, particularly in the choruses!

New singers are always welcome at SDFS – contact southdownsfolksingers21@gmail.com or see the SDFS website https://southdownsfolksingers21.blogspot.com/ for more information.

As Seasons Turn ......

After singing at a variety of lovely events during the summer and into autumn (most recently at the Harvest Supper in Yapton and then at the Weald and Downland Living Museum's  "Hedgerows and Harvest" weekend) we now look forward to the shorter and colder days of winter - and to the new opportunities these bring to sing, enjoy and share our seasonal and festive songs.

Very soon, on Friday November 8th some of our singers, led by our Lewes group lead Tina, will be performing at a lunchtime 'concert' in the Brighton Unitarian Church starting at 12.30pm  (Doors open at 12.00 noon.)

Then on Sunday November 24th , with Amaryllis from our Worthing group directing, we will be singing two sets (12.00 and 2.00pm) at the Weald and Downland Living Museum again, this time at their Advent Market. 

Just a week later on Saturday November 30th, Alan from our Chichester group will be leading us in the courtyard at Petworth House during their first weekend of pre-Christmas open days and festivities.  We will be singing two sets there too, again at 12.00 and 2.00pm.  

(Please check the National Trust and the W.&.D.L.M.'s own websites for full details of entry times and other arrangements for these events).   

Plans for taking our songs out and about in 2025 are already underway - and first on our new  calendar is the Wassail Celebration at "The Vine" pub in Tarring Village in Worthing, where we will again be supporting the Sompting Morris with our wassailing songs on Sunday January 5th.  Their torchlight procession down Tarring High Street will start at 8.00pm - and we'll be greeting them and their followers with our singing in the pub garden as they return for the wassail ceremony there.    

Not forgetting of course, throughout the year - our three local group sessions continue each month - in Lewes, Chichester and Worthing.  Please find full details of these on other pages of this Blog (the "Diary Dates" page, the "Welcome" and "New Singers" pages) - and for a taste of what happens at our local sessions, take a look at the Local Group Reports on our "Latest News" page.  

Plenty of reading to do - and plenty of songs to be sung!      If you'd like to join us - or to invite us to sing for you at an event - just get in touch : southdownsfolksingers21@gmail.com